Kings Hope to Keep Momentum Against Mavs

JAIME ARON

Published 8:00 pm, Friday, May 16, 2003

AP Sports Writer

For five games, the Sacramento Kings went after the Dallas Mavericks from all angles. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

Then in Game 6 of the second-round series, the Kings went back to the drive-the-lane formula that helped them beat the Mavs in last year's playoffs. The result was a 115-109 victory, setting up a decisive seventh game Saturday night. The winner advances to the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

"We came out with the stuff we needed to win," point guard Mike Bibby said. "We need to carry that into Dallas. We won, and that's all that matters right now. If we have the same energy there as we did (in Game 6), we'll do fine. The only thing we won't have is our fans."

The Mavericks get to host Game 7 because they won one more game this season than the Kings, 60-59. They've already relied on the homecourt advantage once this postseason, needing it to hold off Portland in a first-round Game 7.

"My team will be ready, and I am sure Sac will be ready," Dallas coach Don Nelson said. "It will be quite a game. I'm looking forward to it."

Whoever wins will play in San Antonio on Monday night. The winner of that series advances to the NBA Finals.

It might be tough for either of the next two rounds to equal the fast-paced excitement these teams already have produced.

Befitting their status as two of the three highest-scoring teams, the winner of each game has scored at least 99 points. Only twice has the loser scored less than 109.

Both teams have won lopsided games this series, and each teams has pulled out close ones. Game 3 even went to double overtime.

Game 7 will provide the ultimate challenge.

"I really don't think we'd have it any other way," Sacramento guard Doug Christie said. "Two good teams going at it for 48 minutes in a violent environment. You couldn't ask for anything better."

The Mavericks had hoped to avoid this kind of showdown by winning Game 6. They briefly led by one with 8:16 left and could have gone ahead again with 12 seconds left, but Walt Williams missed a 3-pointer. It was the fourth time in five tries this postseason that Dallas wasted a chance to end a series.

"You've got to be hungry," said Mavericks reserve Nick Van Exel, who had 35 points on 15-for-23 shooting Thursday. "They were more hungry. That's what it's all about."